Simultaneous Subs: "Should You Be Exclusive?"

Exclusive

If it's an agent you really want, give them an exclusive. It does no harm, an it only stinks because the writer is sitting around doing nothing except waiting.

My own opinion is simple. There are not very many good agents for a given type of novel. Far fewer than most writers believe. And there aren't very many good publishers for a given type of novel. If a really good agent or publisher is interested in your novel, give them whatever they want, in whatever way they want it, including an exclusive, then shut the heck up and get to work on something else.

Is it just me or does this post feel like spam?

Jamesaritchie said:

If it's an agent you really want, give them an exclusive. It does no harm, an it only stinks because the writer is sitting around doing nothing except waiting.

My own opinion is simple. There are not very many good agents for a given type of novel. Far fewer than most writers believe. And there aren't very many good publishers for a given type of novel. If a really good agent or publisher is interested in your novel, give them whatever they want, in whatever way they want it, including an exclusive, then shut the heck up and get to work on something else.

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I agree with James here. On all counts. Even though you're in a querying stage, you shouldn't just be sitting waiting. Writing more stories, articles or whatever your specialty is, focus on improving and growing your personal body of work. Doing that can help lead you to success.

I also agree about there not being that many good agents for novels of specific genres. However I don't know if it's ok to resubmit a query later, like say you wrote a much better query letter? This is my quandry, I think I have blown it with a weak letter and I don't know if I can resend the new one in a few months or if that is considered rude? Can you resubmit the same idea to the same agents who passed the first time because of a weak letter?

Not meaning to hijack the thread or anything, just felt this was the place to ask, since I know so many other people read this forum then might read in the SYW forums specifically. I got a lot of useful help out of the guidance I receiving and I wrote a killer synopsis for my first unpublished novel I needed to write for the Gather.com contest. I have like four books ready to go so I need to find someone to help sell them at this point and I am just hoping that something good happens for me this year and I land an agent from all this querying I have been doing while I continue to grow my personal body of work.

Spam. She left a very similar post in another thread in this forum. I made a sarcastic comment which I won't try to reproduce--I'll just say that when someone advertises themselves as being "in the know," check their bio to make sure they have some basis for the claim.

- Victoria

In my limited experience, I'm pretty certain you should never query an agent twice with the same project. It doesn't matter to them that your new letter is better. A pass is a pass and it might annoy them to see your work resubmitted (assuming they remember you from the first time). I might be wrong, but I wouldn't do it. Just move forward and query the next agent on your list with that great new query. Good luck!

ETA: This is for Pamster, not Spamster.

I think it is a very large if to suppose that they might remember a query letter that they passed on (unless it was last week).

I am talking like 4-6 months later, that is assuming the queries I've sent out all come up empty. The new letter has gone out and I have gotten two forms with comments added. One said they were too busy to read right now but that my story sounded good. Thanks for the reply, I didn't notice the blatent spam written all over this OP's statement, so I guess I am glad to hijack the thread.

She's just advertising her blog. This is her second post, and both have been, come visit my site and read my words of wisdom, she has no interest in being a part of the community.

When someone tells me they're In The Know, I assume they're either picking their nose, or they have their underpants on their head and are from the Ministry of Silly Walks.

Kiddo, I checked out your pitch'n'bitch thing and was not blown away. Sorry. But hey! Maybe you'll reshape the world for someone else. I'll just stay stuck on "being damn silly" and leave it at that, hey?

Here's the straight scoop:

1) Never bet against yourself.
2) Simultaneous submission is a form of betting against yourself.
3) If you feel the need to simsub anyway, make sure the publisher's guidelines say simsubs are okay.
4) Clearly mark your submission as being simultaneous in your cover letter.

James D. Macdonald said:

Here's the straight scoop:

1) Never bet against yourself.
2) Simultaneous submission is a form of betting against yourself.
3) If you feel the need to simsub anyway, make sure the publisher's guidelines say simsubs are okay.
4) Clearly mark your submission as being simultaneous in your cover letter.

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Golly, I didn't even have to visit your blog to get the straight scoop!

5) Keep track of who you send things to.

(but that has nothing to do with sim-subbing, that's just a good idea in general.)

Good advice Jim, thank you.

I was only on my first cup of coffee when I first replied-LOL! I can see its advertising now. So silly I missed it.